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AfCFTA-000-124 |
3.2. Conformity assessments |
2026-01-08 |
Ethiopia: Dewele |
Ethiopia |
New |
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Complaint:
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Imported tyres are subject to duplicated conformity assessment at destination, despite having undergone identical testing procedures in the country of origin. The absence of recognition of prior test results leads to unnecessary duplication and additional testing cost. |
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AfCFTA-000-125 |
3.2. Conformity assessments |
2025-12-10 |
Ethiopia: Moyale |
Ethiopia |
New |
View |
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Complaint:
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There were delays in obtaining approval or certification for goods imported through the Moyale border. Samples are required to be tested in Addis Ababa before clearance can take place. As a result, importers are expected to obtain the necessary approval before the goods are shipped to Ethiopia. Otherwise, if the approval is sought after the goods arrive and undergo document verification, significant delays may occur.
Following the complaint received, a visit was conducted to the Moyale One-Stop Border Post (OSBP), where these issues were confirmed. For instance, a Vaseline product with all the required specifications (five types) intended for import into Ethiopia was required to obtain prior approval. However, the process took up to two months. This approval or certification is essential for clearance.
If importers fail to secure the approval before the goods arrive at the border, they may face extended waiting periods to obtain the necessary authorization before clearance can proceed. This situation was observed at the Moyale OSBP and confirmed by officers responsible for document verification. |
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AfCFTA-000-126 |
4.3. Other |
2026-01-07 |
Kenya: Moyale |
Ethiopia |
New |
View |
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Complaint:
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Ethiopian maize quality standards are not accepted in Kenya, requiring additional conformity assessment. This has resulted for an extra costs of approximately 44,000 Kenyan Shillings per consignment, increasing the cost of doing business. |
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AfCFTA-000-129 |
1.3. Other |
2025-11-18 |
Ethiopia: Government Institutions at One Stop Border Post |
Kenya |
New |
View |
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Complaint:
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There is a lack of coordination arising from the fragmented structure of the offices and the limited number of officers assigned to support operations. Offices are geographically dispersed, and staffing constraints further reduce efficiency. For example, only one officer is responsible for conducting standard inspections for both export and import goods, creating a bottleneck.
In addition, each institution operates independently under its own supervision, with limited cross-agency integration. While some services, such as agriculture-related offices, still rely on manual processes, others, such as customs, have fully adopted digital systems for clearing goods. However, customs procedures still depend on confirmations from these other agencies before goods can be cleared, leading to delays and inefficiencies.
Overall, these structural and operational challenges contribute significantly to the lack of coordination. |
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AfCFTA-000-130 |
1.3. Other |
2025-09-23 |
Ethiopia: Ethio-Dibouti Railway |
Ethiopia |
New |
View |
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Complaint:
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The Ethio-Djibouti Railway, in addition to providing transport services to the Dewele border, also offers freight forwarding services to exporters, either directly or through its agents. While the contractual agreement is established between the exporter and the railway operator, the actual service delivery is often carried out by third-party agents with whom exporters have no direct contact.
This arrangement limits the exporters ability to track consignments in real time. In several instances, exporters only become aware about the missing consignment at the border. So,the remaining/missing goods will be shipped separately through the same process, resulting in additional transport costs and delays. Consequently, there is a delay in meeting delivery deadlines, which affects the trader’s reliability and lead to financial losses as well.
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AfCFTA-000-131 |
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2025-06-26 |
Djibouti: Port of Djibouti |
Ethiopia |
Transferred |
View |
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Complaint:
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A procedural inconsistency exists in the handling of export shipments from Ethiopia to the Djibouti Free Zone, whereby the acceptance of tarpaulin-covered trucks is applied inconsistently in comparison to containerized cargo. In practice, some shipments transported in tarpaulin-covered trucks are permitted entry into the Free Zone, while others are denied access and required to be containerized without clear justification or prior notice. This inconsistent enforcement creates uncertainty among traders and transport operators, leading to delays, additional handling and transportation costs, and operational inefficiencies.
As a result, exporters particularly small-scale traders face difficulties in planning their logistics and complying with requirements, which ultimately reduces their competitiveness and limits smooth market access along the corridor. |
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